Larry Griffin (born September 23, 1954 – executed June 21, 1995) was a Missouri man convicted in the death of 19‑year‑old Quintin Moss. The killing occurred in St. Louis on June 26, 1980. Griffin was sentenced to death and executed by lethal injection in 1995. His case attracted public attention because his conviction depended in part on testimony from a witness who had been present at the scene, and because Griffin maintained his innocence until his execution.
Case details and trial
The prosecution charged Griffin with the murder of Quintin Moss. During trial proceedings, eyewitness testimony played a prominent role in the state's case. Witness accounts and the way they were presented to jurors were central to the conviction. Public reports and later commentary highlighted the reliance on a single or small number of in‑court identifications rather than a broad corpus of forensic or corroborating evidence.
Appeals, clemency efforts and execution
Griffin pursued appeals through the Missouri court system and petitioned for clemency; these efforts were exhausted before the scheduled execution. On June 21, 1995, the State of Missouri carried out the sentence by lethal injection. Supporters and advocacy groups continued to assert his innocence after his death, urging reviews and drawing attention to the case as part of broader criticism of capital punishment procedures.
Controversy and broader issues
Griffin's case is often cited in discussions about the fallibility of eyewitness identification, the standards for admitting eyewitness testimony, and the risks of capital punishment when convictions rest heavily on human recollection. Critics of the handling of the case argue that mistaken or unreliable eyewitness identification has contributed to wrongful convictions elsewhere, and they point to Griffin's case as an example warranting scrutiny.
- Victim: Quintin Moss
- Crime date: June 26, 1980
- Birth: September 23, 1954
- Execution: June 21, 1995
Aftermath and continuing interest
After Griffin's execution, advocates continued to seek reinvestigation of the case and to publicize concerns about the conviction. Organizations and private individuals have periodically called for records to be reviewed and for any new evidence or inconsistencies to be fully examined. The case is sometimes mentioned alongside other death‑penalty controversies; for example, public debates around executions in different states have referenced similar issues, including the 2000 execution of Garay Graham in Texas as part of a larger conversation about appellate processes and gubernatorial clemency decisions.
Documentation and archived material related to the case have been cited in media and advocacy reporting; some of these records remain accessible through archived sources and public records requests (archive reference). For further background on legal standards and the science of eyewitness identification, readers may consult broader criminal justice resources and appellate records that address how eyewitness testimony is evaluated in capital cases.
The story of Larry Griffin continues to be referenced in discussions of criminal justice reform, the reliability of human witnesses, and the legal safeguards that govern capital punishment in the United States.